Metal shelving.



C. L. C. MAGEE.

METAL SHELVING. APPLlcAtlon man APR. 5. 1915.

1,204,174. Patend Nov1 7,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

C. L. C. MAGEE.

METAL SHELVING.

APPLICATION FILED APR.5.19:5.

l1,204,174. Patented Nov. 7,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CHAUNGEY L. o. MAGEE, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, Assiofiioi?v ,T'FEDRAL s'iitiiiii;

FIXTURE COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A coRonA'rIoNfor ILLINOIS.

METAL sHiiLVING. l'

Specification of Letters Patent.

'Patented Nov. 7, 1914i.

Application led .April 5, 1915. Serial No. 19,099.

f To all whom it may-concern:

ABe it known that I, CHAUNCEY L. C. MAGEE, a citizen ofthe United States of America, and resident of 1442 Lunt avenue, Chicago, Cook county, illinois, have invented a certain new and usefullmprovement in Metal Shelving, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to metal shelving in general, but more particularly to Steel shelv- 'ing employed ink buildings 'for various purposes, and especially kthe shelving ofthis kind Which is of aknockdown or separable character, whereby the shelves can be readily removed and inserted in place.

` Generallystated, the object of myk invention is to provide an improved and novel construction whereby Sheet metal may be employed in a simple and economical manner in the construction of the shelves, y

A special object is to provide a novel and etlicient methodA of converting the sheet metal into shelves having ythe desired construction and shape. f

It is also an object to provide certain'details and features of construction and coinbinations tending to increase the e general etliciency and desirability of a steel or other metal shelving construction lof this particular character.

To the foregoing and othery useful ends, my invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed. In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 -is :a perspective of a portion of some steel shelving involving ithe principles of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan kof the construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig. Bis a horizontal section on line 3 3 in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line el-li in Fig. 3. Figs. 5,

6 and 7 are perspectives of one "end, portion of the steel shelf showing the saine in various stages of the construction or formation thereof. i

As thus illustrated, my invention comprises a plurality of uprights orrisers A formed of T-iron and supported at their up- .per or lower ends, or both, in any suitable or desired manner. The flanges u: of said risers are provided at intervals with openings to receive the pins B by'whieh the shelving is supported in position.. Each shelf comprises a section C of sheet metal having the edges thereof turned downward to form strengthening flanges, and at the ends of the shelves the metal is not only bent dbwnward but shelf is in place. This gives a three-plv thickness at the corner of the shelf. and :.'itli `tliefforniation obtained by the flanges or walls 8 and c', which are at right angles to eachother at the end, of the shelf. a very strong and rigid construction is obtainedthat is to say, the construction is surprisingly strongand rigid, considering that comparatively thin sheet steel or other suitable. nietal may be employed in the construetion of the shelving. The pins l are inserted through square washers D. then through the lianges of the T-irou risers, then through vthe three-ply thickness of sheet metal at the corner of the shelf, as shown in Fig. 3, then through another square washer E,'and vertical keys F are then inserted to hold said pins in place. For this purpose the sheet metal shelfis provided with upper and lower slots 9 and 10. as shown in Fig. Jr. and the keys F are inserted vertically and downward through these slots, and through theL pins B, it being observed that the latter areformedfrom strap metal and bent to provide a head at one end and a slot at the other end for said key. The said keys have heads f which bear upon the shelf to prevent them from falling downwardl \v through the slots, and to keep them in position to be readily withdrawn when it is desired to knock the shelving down or take it apart.

It will be understood. of course. that various devices can be employed for holding the shelving in place. so far as the broader aspects of the invention are concerned. and that I do'not limit myself to the said pins and keys shown and desrribedaml whirh have vbeen found to be veiv suitable. for this purpose. y

The method of converting the sheet metal into a shelf having the foregoing shape and construction may be of any suitable character, but as a matter of furthe-r and special improvement is preferabl \Y as follows: The- 12, these slits extending in continuation otl the fold lines 13 and 14, and terminating at the fold line 15 which extends at right angles to said other fold lines. The next step consists in folding the sheet metal along the line 15, as shown in Fig. 6, the portion 3 being displaced a little inside of the flange 1, and the portion -l being similarly located at this time a little inside of the portion 3, this relative `disalinement of the three thicknesses of sheet metal being in each case about the same as the thickness of the metal. 'lhe next step consists in folding the sheet metal, or rolling it up, so to speak, by creasing it along the lines 13 and 14, as shown in Fig. 7, whereby the portions 3 and -l are brought inside of the flange 1, in the manner previously described, and whereby the flange c is brought to a horizontal position below the top of the shelf. This method is very simple and serves very quickly and economically to convert the sheet metal into shelving having the foregoing shape and construction.

lVhen the shelves are so large that each shelf must comprise a plurality of sections, it will be seen that in many cases one pin B may serve to hold two shelves in place at opposite sides of the T-iron, as shown at the left in Fig. 4, and whereby the parallel sections of the shelf are held close together to provide practically an unbroken top or upper surface forthe shelf.

lVit-h further respect to the method of folding the sheet metal, the portion 4 can fold either between the portions 1 and 3 or with the portion 3 between said portion -l and the portion 1, as may be desired. If the latter method is followed, as previously described, then the line 15 is referably composed of short lengths whicl are out ol' line with each other, whereby the folding ol' the metal necessarily brings the portion I; a little inside of the portion 1, and the portion l a little inside of the portion 3, as shown in Fig. l, thus facilitating the folding operation shown in Fi 7. Obviously, however, and in so gli' as the broader aspects of my invention are concerned, the flaps 1, Il and l may be folded in any suitable manner. i

What ly claim as my invention is l. hlt-tal shelving comprising risers, sheet metal shelves having intcriorly reinforced integral corner portions, each said portion including the end section of a vertical flange and one or more integral layers applied to the inner surface ot' said flange, and means for dctachably securing said corner portions to said risers, said shelves having lower horthicknesses of sheet metal, and said means including a pin inserted through said threeply thickness, said pin having provisions to prevent its displacement from the shelf and riser.

3. Metal shelving comprising risers, sheet metal shelves having reinforced corner portions, and means for detachably securing said corner portions to said risers` said portions being each composed of three thicknesses of sheet metal, and the shelf being provided with a vertical wall dependin therefrom, the lower portion of said wall ing turned inward to form a horizontal flange, one said thickness being integral with the top of the shelf, another said thickness being integral with said vertical wall, and the third layer of metal being integral with said flange.

4. Metal shelving comprising risers, sheet metal shelves havin reinforced corner portions, and means or detachably securing said corner portions to said risers, said por tions being each composed of a plurality of flaps which are folded one upon the other in vertical planes, and one said flap being integral with and upturned from one end of a horizontal stifening flange extending along one edge of the shelf.

A riser, a sheet-metal shelf havin a horizontal. flange below the to thereo a horizontal element for remova ly supporting said shelf on said'riser, and means inserted downward through the top of said shelf and through said flange to hold said element in place, the ends of said flange being turned upV to form reinforcing and supporting portions for the corners of the shelf.

6. A riser, a sheet-metal shelf having a horizontal flange below the top thereof and having a Vertical corner wall, a pin inserted through said wall and riser, and a key removably inserted downward through the top of said shelf and through said flange to engage and hold said pin in place, the ends of said flange being turned up to form reinforein and su )o1-ting portions for the corners o the Shelli.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 18th day of March, 1915.

CHAUNCEY L. C.r MAGEE.

Witnesses RACHEL J. RICHAnnsoN, ROSE E. SEHNEM. 

